Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) vs Gemini Deep Research
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) (2026) and Gemini Deep Research (2024) are frontier reasoning models from Google DeepMind. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) ships a 131k-token context window, while Gemini Deep Research ships a 128k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is safer overall; choose Gemini Deep Research when provider fit matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | Gemini Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and multimodal apps | tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Long context and Vision | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $60/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) for Long context and Vision.
- Gemini Deep Research uniquely exposes Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini Deep Research for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)
$15,400
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Google AI Studio
Gemini Deep Research
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Google AI Studio; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- Gemini Deep Research adds Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Google AI Studio; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-05-28 | 2024-12-11 |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | 2025-01 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | Gemini Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $60/1M tokens | - |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | Gemini Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), multimodal input: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), reasoning mode: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), function calling: Gemini Deep Research, tool use: Gemini Deep Research, and structured outputs: Gemini Deep Research. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has $0.50/1M input tokens and Gemini Deep Research has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 1 tracked routes versus 1. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) when reasoning depth and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Gemini Deep Research when provider fit are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Deep Research?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) supports 131k tokens, while Gemini Deep Research supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Deep Research open source?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is listed under Proprietary. Gemini Deep Research is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Deep Research?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Deep Research?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Deep Research?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and Gemini Deep Research?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is available on Google AI Studio. Gemini Deep Research is available on Google AI Studio. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.